Deported child sex offender arrested in South Texas after jumping from freight train

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Cristobal Cortes-Cartagena, 39, from Honduras (Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a convicted child sex offender from Honduras after he jumped from a freight train to evade law enforcement in South Texas, authorities announced Thursday.

Border Patrol arrests sex offender

What we know:

The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Cristobal Cortes-Cartagena, has been deported from the United States multiple times and has a criminal history that includes sex crimes involving children and failing to register as a sex offender, officials say.

On July 4, 2026, during routine security checks at a rail yard, agents assigned to the Uvalde Station were conducting train check operations when they saw three people jump from a railcar and run off.

Agents chased the individuals and took them into custody, later identifying Cortes-Cartagena as a Honduran national illegally present in the country.

A biometric and background record check conducted by federal agents revealed an extensive criminal history in the United States dating back more than 15 years.

Timeline:

Cortes-Cartagena was convicted in California for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. He was sentenced to five years in prison and was subsequently deported from the U.S. upon completing his sentence.

He returned to the U.S. illegally and was arrested for reentry of a deported alien, resulting in an 18-month federal prison sentence.

Following his federal prison term, the state of California prosecuted him for failing to register as a sex offender, a charge for which he served 14 months behind bars.

Cortes-Cartagena was deported from the United States for a second time in 2021.

What’s next:

As a previously deported convicted felon, Cortes-Cartagena now faces federal prosecution for reentry after deportation. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.

In a statement following the arrest, Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony “Scott” Good credited the proactive work of the agents on the ground.

“Constant vigilance by our Border Patrol agents is paramount to keeping our communities safe,” Good said. “Child sex offenders who repeatedly attempt to enter our country pose a serious threat, and we stand ready to answer that threat.”